New Eastern Washington running backs coach Kevin Maurice ready for challenge
How badly did Kevin Maurice want to coach to coach at Eastern Washington?
Enough to move far from his Midwestern roots.
Enough to give up a successful three-year gig at Big Sky Conference rival North Dakota, where he developed some of the best running backs in the Football Championship Subdivision.
And enough to give up the not-so-bright lights of Grand Forks for an even smaller setting in Cheney.
Then again, consider that Cheney is home to an Eastern Washington program that has cast a light all out of proportion to its setting.
“It means a lot to me because historically Eastern has been really successful at a national level,” said Maurice, who knows what he’s talking about after stops at Purdue, Nevada, Miami and Cincinnati.
“To be part of the football program at Eastern is justifiable in my career and I’m here to accept the challenge,” Maurice said.
The biggest challenge will be to push the Eagles’ running backs to the forefront of the offense, or at least on par with the passing game. Last year, the Eagles got just 1,085 yards from their running backs on just 4.2 yards per carry.
However, Maurice, 34, has a strong track record at North Dakota, the most run-heavy team in the Big Sky last year aside from Cal Poly and its triple option.
Most important, the Fighting Hawks went 8-0 in the Big Sky last year.
“He’s been a part of some very successful programs and teams,” Eastern coach Aaron Best said. “The production of his running backs has been top notch and has been witnessed by our staff for the past three years.”
While at UND, Maurice turned former wide receiver John Santiago into an All-American running back who set school records for rushing yards (1,459) and touchdowns (10).
“He was a self-motivated kid, I’d compare him to Cooper Kupp,” said Maurice, warming to the topic of his transition to Eastern Washington.
“He had an eagerness to learn and he bought into the culture,” Maurice said of Santiago.
Maurice said he sees the same potential in Eastern’s running back corps.
“They’re good kids, and they’re eager,” Maurice said of Antoine Custer Jr., Tamarick Pierce and Sam McPherson.
The cornerstone of Maurice’s coaching comes down to mutual respect, he said recently.
“That’s what I told the kids at UND and at Eastern, that trust is mutual, and that they have to be unselfish. And you have to let them know where they stand.”
Maurice, who replaces Kiel McDonald (now at Utah) also comes to Cheney with a reputation as a strong recruiter.
“I know the lay of the land in the Big Sky,” Maurice said. “From my three years at North Dakota, I know what it takes to be a Big Sky champion. I also know the profile of running backs we need to have at Eastern to win the league title year in and year out.”
Maurice wasn’t on Best’s radar in January, but that soon changed.
“We have the same blue-collar mentality,” said Maurice, who also will work as co-special teams coordinator with linebackers coach Josh Fetter.